Lame Duck Syndrome
by Rasial
Summary: One-shot alternative way for Ed Nygma and Lee to get together in Season 4. What if, instead of trying to kill himself, Ed was brave enough to tell Lee the truth about the Tot Maker? And what if Lee kept her promise to heal him?


The Toy Maker lay where he'd fallen.

Ed panted, leaning against the brick wall in the alley. Somehow, Jim Gordon had bought his panicked gabbling, and had already turned away to call it in.

'Gordon must be losing his edge' he muttered.

He was free of suspicion. Free to slink away. Lee never had to know...

But Ed frowned. He'd done all that before. Lied to Kristen. And she'd ended up dead.

'No...say it clearly. You _killed_ her, Ed.' The Riddler taunted him in the back of his mind.

Ed dropped his head. 'Yes, I killed her.'

'Like you're trying to kill Lee?' A glimmer of the Riddler's smug face reflected in a broken pane of glass.

'No, no, no, _you're_ the one trying to kill her. I'm trying to save her!' Ed cried.

'Some job you're doing.' The man in green arched his eyebrows at his alter-ego. 'FYI? Flowers and candy are considered the traditional alternative to assassin plane-o-grams. I think honesty is one of the usual hallmark sentiments in there too.'

Ed cocked his head and looked himself in the eye. 'You'd like that, wouldn't you? I tell Lee I ordered the hit, and she never comes near me again. And you get free reign.'

'But she'd be safe...' the Riddler laughed maniacally, seeing the hang-dog expression on Ed's face. 'But in our heart of hearts, that's not what we want, is it? If you can't have her, it doesn't _matter_ if she's dead or not..."

'No!' Ed yelled aloud, then glanced around. He was drawing strange glances from a few Narrows kids. He brushed himself off and made his way back into Cherry's.

Fine. The Riddler was manipulating him. Sure, this would ruin any chance with Lee. She'd probably run him out of the Narrows.

He knocked on the clinic door.

But he owed her the—

'—Ed?' Lee's eyes widened. He had that disheveled look about him which usually meant he was struggling.

'Lee.' Ed took a deep breath, gave her a small smile, and straightened his stance. 'I have news. May I come in?'

'Of course.' Lee gave him a puzzled glance and pushed open the door. He came in and shut it behind him.

'I'll cut to the point, before I lose my nerve.' Ed took a deep breath out. 'I learned the name of the person that hired the assassin. It was a surprise to me, I assure you, but I will understand why you might find that hard to believe."

Lee raised an eyebrow. 'Who was it, Ed?'

Ed pressed his eyelids shut, then, met Lee's gaze. 'The Riddler.'

Lee blinked. 'I don't understand how that's possible.'

'Nor I. But somehow he gained control, and hired the Toy Maker. He thinks you're the one keeping him prisoner — making me stronger. So if he kills you...'

'He frees himself.' Lee finished. She looked up at Ed. 'Do you think he's right?'

Ed swallowed. 'You do make me stronger. Inspire me to want to be a better version of myself.'

She narrowed her eyes. 'But if the Riddler's already getting out and about, I haven't really stopped him, have I?.'

Ed mulled this over.

'You wanna know what I think?' Lee took a step closer and put a hand on Ed's chest, over his heart. 'I don't think Ed and the Riddler are really two separate people. I think that you chose to stay out here in the Narrows, instead of going straight back to a life of crime when your brain thawed out, because you want to reconcile - assimilate both personalities into one person.'

'No!' Both Ed and The Riddler shouted at once.

Lee laughed.

'Ed, I know you're scared of him - but you can stand up to him - you have been - that's why he felt like he had to lash out at me. And, Riddler? Ed's still listening to you - I mean look at him! He's still wearing an emerald green suit. I'm not a threat to you, and Ed's not either. Both of you exist to thrive in different situations. But you're both facets of the one person.'

Ed frowned, thinking. The same expression was mirrored on the Riddler's face, in the reflection of Lee's overhead metallic lamp.

Lee shrugged. 'You just have to learn to get along, boys. Time-share.'

Ed's demeanour cautiously brightened. 'So, let's say your diagnosis is correct. You're not sending us away?'

Lee straightened his suit jacket by the shoulders. One day she'd have to examine why she always chose men who needed saving. 'Why would I do that? We're partners.'

'But I might kill you.' Ed whispered.

'The women that you love do seem to have shortened life-spans.' Lee agreed.

Ed blinked. 'That I...how long have you known?'

Lee reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. 'About as long as you have.' Then she kissed him, and his arms wrapped around her. He was tense, passionate, but restrained...she noted to herself. _Not_ _bad_, _for_ _a_ _nerd_.

Ed couldn't hear the Riddler now - he seemed quite happy to hand over the reins when it came to 'mushy drivel.' But Ed had a feeling that next time that the Narrows—that Lee—was threatened, he'd be back.


End file.
